Shoe form



March 19, 1929.

'w. l.. c. Nl'LEs SHOE FORM Filed Feb. 19, 1927 v f w Patented Mar. 19,1929.

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Applicationv led February 19, 1927. Serial No. 169,616.

This invention relates to forms employed bysalesmen and others todisplay shoes' and has for its general objectto provide a form whichwill hold a 'shoe expanded and .in natural and attractive shape butwhich will not obstruct the interior of the shoe to such an extent as toconceal the lining, whereby the interior as well as the exterior `of theshoe may be readily inspected.

io The nature of the invention will best be understood from thefollowing description of certain forms or embodiments thereofillustrated in the accompanying drawings. It will be understood,however, that the particular constructions, described and shown havevbeen chosenfor 'purposes of exempliiication merely, and that theinvention, as defined by the claims .hereunto appended, may be otherwiseembodied without departure from the spirit and scope thereof.

ln said drawings.k Y Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a shoe, showingthe form in position therein.

Fig. 2 is a Vbottom plan view of the form 5 removed.

Fig. 3 is a similar view vof a modified construction.

Fig. t is a detail view, on a reduced scale, of the spreader memberofthe form.

As herein shown, the form comprises a toe member 10, shaped to enter andsubstan-v tially fit the interior of the toe portion lof a shoe, and aresilient skeleton spreader member 11 connected to the toe member andextending therefrom to the rear end of the shoe. The toe member 10,which is preferably of hollow construction with an open bottom, may becomposed `of any suitable material, such as fibre, and terminates at thei() rear end of the toe portion of the shoe, the sides of said memberadjacent their ends being braced or spaced by a suitable cross "memberor strut 12. The spreader member 11 may comprise a loop of relativelyheavy as spring wire of a suitable size and shape to extend about andsubstantially fit the sides, quarters and counter of the shoe. In thepreferred construction shown,the ends of the loop 1 1 are connected toeach other andl .so to the toe member 11 at a point well in front of therise of the instep. As shown in F ig. 4, the ends of the loop 11 `areformed with eyes 13 to receive a stud V14e which extends through the topwall of the toe member 10, 55. is provided at the outer side of thelatter with ahead 15, and has a threaded inner end to receive a nut 16,said stud and nut constituting a clainpfor connecting the forward ends'of the spreader member or loop to the under surface of the topvrwall lofthe toe member. Inv order to .adapt ythe* form to shoes of differentsizes, this connection isr preferably made adjustable, as by forming thetoe member withfaseries of r holes 17 to receive the stud 12d-,as showninl Fig. 2. If preferred, the holes 17 may be replaced by a slot 18, asshown in Fig. 3,*iii which the stud 14 is adjustablyheldby the clampingaction Y of the nut '16.' v

Then the form above described-is in position iny a shoe, as shown inFig. 1, the'latter will be held distended in the manner desired fordisplay purposes, but, by reason of the skeleton nature of the form, andparticularly of the spreader memberl kv11 thereof, they in-v terior ofthe shoe will not be obstructed or concealed` to any material extent'.Due to the attachmentof the spreader member to the toe member at a pointin front of the rise of the instep, the forward end of the toe member isforced downwardly into the forward end of the toe portion of the shoe,thereby preventing upward curling of the shoe and holding the slicebottom to the true tread. Moreover, since the loop 11 is both laterallyand longitudinally resilient, the

effect of the longitudinal pressure thereof againstthe rear end of theshoe will be not only to force the toe portion into place,`but' also toexpand the spreader laterally, as indicated in broken `lines in Fig. 2,thereby spreat'ling the quarters of the shoe to the same extent as acomplete form but without the obstruction interposed by the latter (to.

free Vinspection of the interioi'of the shoe.'

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A shoe form including aV toe member adapted to fit in the toe portionof a shoe and a resilient spreader member connected tothe toe member andadapted to fit in that portion of the shoe lying back of the, toeportion thereof with tensional bearing against the interior of the sidesand end of the shoe.

2. A shoe form including a toe member adapted to fit in the toe portionof the shoe rand a yresilient spreader' member adapted to fit in thatportion of the shoe lying back of the toe portionthereof" and when inico place having tensional bearing in part against the end ofthe shoeand in other parts against the interior of its opposite sides Withvextension along said sides, vthe spreader member being connected to thetoe member, and `means for making suchv connection. y

3. A shoe form including a toe member adapted to fit Within the toeportion oia shoe and a resilient spreaderl member adapted tov fit inthatportion of the shoe lyL ing-y back of its toe portion with tensionalbearing againstthe end and opposite sides oigthe shoe, those portions ofthe resilient member bearing againstithe opposite sides of theshoe'extending ,along said sides and connected 4-to the toe member inposition Where the pressure exerted by the resilient member l when inplace will tend to force down the forward end of the toe member rintotheforward end of the toe portion of' the shoe,.and means for makingsuch connection.

4. Ay shoe form' including a toe member yadapted to fit Within the toeportion of a adapted .to ifitwvithin the toe portion of a shoe and aresilientloop connected to the toe member adapted to lit Within thatportion of the shoe lying back of its toe portion and When in lplaceextending from the toe member about the quarters and counter oli' the`shoe with tensional bearing against said quarters and counter, thoseportions of the loop extending about the quarters of the shoe beingconnected to the toe member in v position where the pressure-exerted bythe resilient loop when* in place Will vtend to force down tlieiiorwardend` of the toe member into the forward end of the toe portieri of theshoe, andineans forv making suchv connection.

6. A shoe form yincluding.a toe member and a resilient loop extendingfrom said toe member about 'the quarters and counter ol' the shoe, andan adjustable clamp connectingthe ends of said looprwith eachother andWith said toe member.

7. Ashoe form including a toe member and aresilient loop extending fromsaid toe member about the quarters and counterv of the shoe, andanadjustable clamp connecting.,the ends of said loop with each other andwith said toe memberat a point in front of the rise of lthe instep.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WALTER L. C. NILES,

